middletown public schools: fine arts department

Middletown

Public

Schools:

Fine Arts

Department

2011-

2012A summary of the activities, performances, and studies of the Art and

Music classes within the Middletown Public Schools throughout the

2011-2012 academic year.

Year in

Review

Directed by Marco Gaylord

Primary

Frederick J. Bielefield Elementary

Art.................................................2

Music.............................................2

Farm Hill Elementary

Art.................................................5

Music.............................................5

The Lawrence School

Art.................................................8

Music.............................................8

Macdonough Elementary

Art.................................................10

Music.............................................10

Van Buren Moody Elementary

Art.................................................12

Music.............................................14

Wilbert Snow Elementary

Art.................................................15

Music.............................................17

Bertrand E. Spencer Elementary

Art.................................................19

Music.............................................20

Vivian McRae Wesley Elementary

Art.................................................22

Music.............................................23

The Elizabeth Swaim Strings

Program..................................................25

Secondary

Keigwin Middle School

Art.................................................28

Music.............................................30

Woodrow Wilson Middle School

Art.................................................32

Music.............................................34

Theater...........................................38

Middletown High School

Art.................................................39

Music.............................................44

Theater...........................................51

Middletown Teen Theater &

Middletown Children’s Theater

........................................................54

TEACHER INDEX: ART.....................56

TEACHER INDEX: MUSIC................57

TEACHER INDEX: THEATER..........58

Information and photos provided by individuals,

compiled and presented by Lauren Otto.

Middletown Public Schools Page 2

Arts Department: Year in Review

Frederick J. Bielefield Elementary

ART:

Katrina Engelhardt and Catherine Lendler

Bielefield’s students and teachers began their year completing memorial ceramic mosaic

tiles for an instillation dedicated to Dottie Solek who worked with many students throughout

the district and ran many charities at the school. Students

participated in the Fire Prevention Poster contest and

Middletown Parks and Recreation drawing contest and a

student artist was chosen each month for recognition of their

personal artwork. Enrichment time was spent with students

to create stage

decorations for the choral

concerts and

collaborating with third

grade to create masks for

book reports. Fifth grade

students raised a record

amount of money for

their yearbooks and Field

Day tee shirts by creating

paintings on canvas for a Valentine’s Day Art Auction and

Spaghetti Dinner. Bielefield students displayed 2‐D and 3‐D

work in the Middletown Public Schools Art Show at

Wesleyan University. On May 17th, all fifth grade classes

attended the Wadsworth Athenaeum Field Trip focusing on

observation skills and visual arts vocabulary. The students concluded their visit by writing a

paper about a selected artwork. Some outstanding student artwork was selected and is

displayed at the Board of Education Offices.

MUSIC:

Stephen D’Amato

The 4th graders start in the beginning of the year and learn how to put their instruments

together, care and maintenance of their instruments, and how to hold and make sounds. By the

end of 4th grade, they are playing simple band songs as a group. In 5th grade band, they start off



where they left off in 4th grade and continue to learn new concepts, such as dynamic markings,

tempo markings, staccato and tenuto markings, and more complicated notes and rhythms. We

also have 5th grade beginners. In lessons and band, we learn to play different styles of music

with our songs such as: marches, classical, pop, blues, rock, and jazz. The great thing about

music classes and band classes is that the students get to show everything they have learned

and have been working on at their concerts. Our School puts on two performances a year, one

in the winter and one in the spring. These concerts are K-5 chorus and 4th and 5th grade band.

In addition to the school concerts the 4th and 5th grade students perform in the All-City chorus

and band concert as well. All the music teachers are involved in all performances.

Finally, all music students are currently working on their exit exams, which is a formal

evaluation of all they learned throughout the year. Data from the results will be available and

evaluated at the end of the school year.

Amy Chrzanowski

The Bielefield school music program has been very busy this year. General music

students have worked hard on music from different cultures and genres. The students have

learned concepts that start in kindergarten with steady beat, high and low sounds and simple

rhythms all the way up to 5th grade where they learn how to compose and perform in a major

scale, sight read music in a major scale, and read and play 16th note rhythms.

Some exciting projects in general music include Saint Saens’ Carnival of the Animals in

1st grade, and Prokofiev’s Peter and the wolf in second grade. Third grade studied classical

composers and their music, while 4th grade studied famous jazz musicians and their music.

Grade five learned all about musicals, the history of musicals, and all the different jobs and

people involved in putting on a musical.

The Bielefield 4th and 5th grade band has been learning to play and perform on their

instruments as well. The 4th graders start in the beginning of the year and learn how to put

their instruments together, care and maintenance of their instruments, and how to hold and

make sounds. By the end of 4th grade they are playing simple band songs as a group. In 5th

grade band, they start off where they left off in 4th and continue to learn new concepts, such as

dynamic markings, tempo markings, staccato and tenuto markings, and more complicated

notes and rhythms. The great thing about music classes and band classes is that the students

get to show everything they have learned and have been working on at their concerts.

Bielefield School puts on two performances a year, one in the winter and one in the spring.

These concerts are K-5 chorus and 4th and 5th grade band. In addition to the school concerts, the

4th and 5th grade students perform in the All-City chorus and band concert as well. All the

music teachers are involved in all performances.






Cynthia Peterson

Jazz is alive and well in elementary school!

Students come before school or during the day to practice such jazz tunes as "Bag O

Blues", "Mack the Knife" and "La Bamba". The 5th Grade Jazz Ensemble recently performed

before a packed crowd at the All City Festival and was heard at their school concerts in May

and June.

Charlotte Soja

This year in Bielefield’s General music classes we had a busy year. This was our second

year of implementing our new curriculum. Beside the delayed start with hurricanes and

autumn snow storms, the students worked hard to be ready for the winter concert. Over the

holiday season, we performed two winter concerts for an audience and one additional winter

show in an all school assembly. The Show was a combination of band and choral music. The

spring concerts this year will feature Bielefield students singing general choral songs, and I

always enjoy throwing in at least a few Michael Jackson numbers. There will be two

performances.

The students are currently working on completing their end of the year ‘Exit Exams’

which is a formal evaluation of K-5 students based on the curriculum. Results from these

evaluations will be complete by the end of the school year.



Farm Hill Elementary

ART:

Sean Callahan

Students at Farm Hill School learned about a variety of art from different artists,

cultures, and periods in history and different techniques for creating art this year. During the

school year we have studied important artworks in classroom discussions and critical analysis.

Thanks to the Cultural Council,

The students in fourth and fifth grade also had the opportunities to see original works of

art at area art museums. The fourth grade students took a field trip to Wesleyan to see the many

Asians artworks housed there and the fifth grade classes visited the Wadsworth Athenaeum.

Both fieldtrips included writing components in which students reflected on their experience

and the artwork they viewed.

The students worked hard to create their artwork and the results showed in both the

district wide art show and the Board of Education art show. Each grade used many different

media including clay, marker, paint and tinfoil and each grade viewed artwork from many

different artists. This approach allowed the students to learn the techniques of using multiple

media and their imagination to create their artwork.

After school art clubs have become very popular at Farm Hill and during the fall there

was an art club in which students worked on independent and group projects. This spring we

had an after-school pottery club that is run in conjunction with the CAP program. This

program includes over thirty students from third, fourth and fifth grade. Students work with

clay for forty-five minutes and then do homework for forty-five minutes.

MUSIC:

Cynthia Peterson

Band students at Farm Hill have kept busy this year with two school concerts and a

performance at the All City Music Festival. School concerts include such titles as "Blue Ribbon

March, "Mickey Mouse March”, "Blue Note Rock" and "Star Wars". Students at a Flag Day

ceremony performed "Star Spangled Banner" and "You're a Grand Old Flag". Those who

performed at the 5th Grade Promotion played "This Land is Your Land", "Hail, The Conquering

Hero" and "America"

All in all our instrumental music students have had opportunities to perform on their

instruments and make us proud!







and June.

Hallie Sorensen

Farm Hill students have had a busy year strengthening their music skills. In music class

you could hear kids singing and playing instruments together. Students have fun playing

music games.

Music performances were a highlight of the year. All grade levels performed in a

December concert which features a variety of songs representing December celebrations. All

students performed in this concert and it was well received by the audience.

Springtime has brought a host of musical performances. Students who attended the

New Britain Rock Cats game sang “America the Beautiful” at the opening of the game. Over

150 Farm Hill students and family members were in attendance at that game.

Kindergarten classes put on the musical “The Little Red Hen.” It was fully staged with

scenery and costumes. Students were featured in lead roles as well as story tellers. Both school

time performance as well as an evening performance was enjoyed be students, parents and

friends.

Third graders began lessons using the Recorder Karate program. Ninety-seven percent

of the students successfully passed “level one”. The students also invented instruments as part

of their “instruments of the orchestra” unit.

In June grade 1-5 will perform in a spring concert. This year’s theme is “Celebrations

Through-Out the Year.” Students will have the opportunity to perform songs not usually

performed in concert. Tunes will include “Happy Grandparent’s Day, I have a Dream, The

Ballad of Johnny Appleseed, and Mashed Potatoes” just to name a few. All third through fifth

graders will also perform on their recorders.

Music has helped to enhance the school spirit this year. At each assembly students sing

the Farm Hill School song. It has helped to create a positive environment. Fourth and Fifth

graders learned choral and recorder songs which were performed at the “All-City” music

festival in April. Lastly, the fifth grade sung at the fifth grade promotion on June 20.

Liza Siegel

The students at Farm Hill School worked very hard this year on singing, playing

instruments and moving to music. All of the students participated in two concerts. The first

took place in December. This concert featured music with a winter and December Holiday

theme. The second concert took place in June. This concert featured songs about holidays

throughout the year, such as Mother's Day, Father's Day and Halloween.

There are many curriculum highlights to celebrate. Kindergarten worked on learning

vocabulary words to describe music and how to show a steady beat. First grade started to read

music notation and enjoyed acting out different animals to the famous piece "Carnival of the

Animals". Second grade started to learn about harmony by singing songs in two parts and liked

the story of "Peter and the Wolf" told through music. Grade three began to play the recorder

and learn about different families of the orchestra. Fourth grade dove into Jazz and



improvisation. Grade 5 studied musical form and successfully finished the recorder program

called "Recorder Karate".

During the first half of the year, students in grades four and five had the option to sing

in the Spencer School Chorus. Many students participated and sang two pieces in the winter

concert. The music selections were difficult and the students worked hard to perform them

well. Select Spencer School fourth and fifth graders also had the option to participate in the

Middletown All‐City Music in April. Many students chose to play in the bands and recorder

ensembles as well as sing in the chorus.



The Lawrence School

ART:

Alison Kaye

On maternity leave, Spring 2012, covered by Claudia Kehrhahn.

MUSIC:

Farah DeAngelis and David Daddario

The students at The Lawrence School worked very hard

to improve their music skills through singing, playing

instruments and moving to music. Students in all grades have

been spending much time creating, performing, and responding

to classical and folk music. The

lower grades have been playing

games such as music baseball to learn how to read music while

the upper grades are enthusiastically participating in “Recorder

Karate” to strengthen music reading skills. In our music dojo,

many students have acquired

their black belts and many more

are on their way!

All of the students participated in four concerts this year

with two performances for the December show and two for the

May show. The concert in December showcased winter and

December holiday music. In May the concert theme will be

“Holiday Harmonies” in which the students will perform music

from important holidays throughout the entire year. Even with

all these exciting concerts, the students’ favorite concert of the

year is put on by The Lawrence School staff members. The staff

performs holiday favorites while the students sing and move

along with the tunes. It brings joy and is remembered by all.

The entire fourth and fifth grade class had an

opportunity to celebrate Earth Day with a song during an

assembly. This helped to prepare them for the 30th Annual All-City Music Festival. This year,

41% of all fourth and fifth grade students at The Lawrence School participated in the festival,

which is a slight gain from last year. The students worked hard, performed beautifully, and

showcased the musicianship skills they learn and practice every week in class.



Cynthia Peterson





and June.



Macdonough Elementary

ART:

Sean Callahan

Alison Kaye

On maternity leave, Spring 2012, covered by Claudia Kehrhahn.

MUSIC:

Stephen D’Amato

The 4th graders start in the beginning of the year and learn how to put their instruments

together, care and maintenance of their instruments, and how to hold and make sounds. By the

end of 4th grade they are playing simple band songs as a group. In 5th grade band, they start off

where they left off in 4th and continue to learn new concepts, such as dynamic markings, tempo

markings, staccato and tenuto markings, and more complicated notes and rhythms. We also

have 5th grade beginners. In lessons and band, we learn to play different styles of music with

our songs such as: marches, classical, pop, blues, rock, and jazz. The great thing about music

classes and band classes is that the students get to show everything they have learned and have

been working on at their concerts. Our School puts on two performances a year, one in the

winter and one in the spring. These concerts are K-5 chorus and 4th and 5th grade band. In

addition to the school concerts the 4th and 5th grade students perform in the All-City chorus and

band concert as well. All the music teachers are involved in all performances.




Farah DeAngelis

The students at MacDonough Elementary School have

been experiencing music in and outside the music classroom all

year long. With wonderful opportunities to attend various

Green Street arts programs, participate in music mentoring, and

visit the Goodspeed Opera House, music is definitely important

in our community!

Last year a CAUSE grant helped MacDonough school purchase keyboards for a piano

club. This year students wished to continue the after-school club, with help from staff and

parents. Both new and continuing students have been working hard to increase their piano

playing abilities.



All of the students participated in two concerts this year with one performance for the

December show and another for the May show. The concert in December showcased winter

and December holiday music. In May, the concert theme was “Holiday Harmonies” in which

the students performed music from important holidays throughout the entire year. In April,

kindergarten students sang in their annual Spring Show. In preparation for the show, students

learned about different cultures and learned songs in different languages. All of their hard work

and practice showed as they sang and performed on stage for their families and the school.

Later that month, fourth and fifth grade students all

learned special music for the All-City Music Festival and

some got to showcase their hard work by attending

rehearsals and performance for the festival. Our final

musical celebration of the year was on Flag Day. All

students showed their respect and honor for our country

through song.

Cynthia Peterson


Students come before school or during the day to

practice such jazz tunes as "Bag O Blues", "Mack the

Knife" and "La Bamba". The 5th Grade Jazz Ensemble

recently performed before a packed crowd at the All City

Festival and was heard at their school concerts in May

and June.



Van Buren Moody Elementary

ART:

Megan Martin

The students in kindergarten through grade five have learned about a variety of art

styles, artists, cultures, art history and art making techniques this year. They have studied

famous artworks in depth through class discussions, and through critical analysis about each

individual work of art. The students have also been given opportunities to view actual artworks

in a museum setting to enrich the art experience. Grade four students visited several art exhibits

at Wesleyan University in the fall, and Grade five students visited the Wadsworth Athenaeum

this past spring. Famous works of art are used as inspiration for most art projects, and students

use their knowledge about an artist’s work as a springboard for their own creativity.

The art field trip to Wesleyan University with the fourth graders was filled with fun

exciting activities for the students to take part in. They visited

the Gamelan, which is an instrumental chorus from Indonesia,

and listened to music from that culture. They students also had

an opportunity to play the instruments. They learned about the

Indonesian art of shadow puppetry, and also enjoyed visiting

the art galleries on the Wesleyan campus. Exhibitions at The

Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, The Davidson Art Center, and

the Mansfield Center for East Asian Studies were all viewed by

the students in small groups.

The art field trip to the Wadsworth Athenaeum with the fifth grades was a magnificent

experience. The students were given a tour of the museum by a docent and stopped to discuss

and respond to several works of art. Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Norman Rockwell, Stuart

Davis, Andy Warhol, and Vincent Van Gogh were just some of the artists whose work was

viewed by the students. The fifth graders completed a written activity at the commencement of

the museum tour to analyze one specific work of art of their choice.

In art class the students in grades kindergarten through grade five have had many

opportunities to experience art. Large scale art prints are mainly used to show students the

work of different artists, and occasionally a historical/cultural video will be used to exhibit a

work of art. PowerPoint presentations and museum websites viewed in the computer lab are

another way students have utilized technology to access great works of art. The following are

highlights of what each grade has studied in art class.

The kindergarteners have learned about line, shape,

color, and texture by studying the artwork of Wassily Kandinski,

Piet Mondrian, and Hokusai. Students made mixed media line

sculptures, tempera paintings, clay, and crayon drawings to

express themselves. Illustrations from a variety of stories have

also been used as inspiration for art making. The most recent



project was a butterfly drawing showing symmetry and pattern.

First graders have studied Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting and made a

painting/collage of their own flowers in a vase; they also made a three-dimensional paper

bedroom inspired from his “Bedroom at Arles” painting. The have made their own portraits

after viewing self-portraits by several artists. Claude Monet’s water lilies were also studied and

the students tried to emulate his painting style with oil pastels. A variety of cultures have been

studied also including African Masks, Indian Navaratna Jewelry, and Japanese Gyotaku (fish

printing).

Second graders studied the art of Henri Matisse and made story collages using a variety

of papers. Henri Rousseau was another famous artist they studied to learn about imagination

and landscape drawing. Student made jungle scenes that show depth with relation to the size of

objects in the drawing. Students also studied the artwork of Mary Cassatt and made their own

family portraits that express their feelings and the individual personalities of their family

members.

Third graders studied the art and writing of Faith

Ringgold and made geometric drawings inspired from her quilt

designs. Students also drew pictures about their aspirations and

dreams inside of the quilt designs. The students studied the

artwork of Grant Wood and discussed how his “rural” artwork

compared to the environment in which we live. Students made

portraits of themselves in front of an important place in

Middletown. This lesson connected to a unit based on local

architecture where the students made pencil drawings of Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, and

Federal style buildings. Students made clay leaf bowls by pressing actual leaves into the clay

and making a slumped bowl out of their slab. Some of the cultural projects studied in third

grade include aboriginal dreaming from Australia, and Jade paper mosaic masks inspired from

the Mayans.

The fourth graders studied large flower paintings by

Georgia O’Keeffe and used color blending with oil pastels to

create their own close up of a natural object. They also utilized

technology by altering a flower photo in a photo editing

program, which was inspired by the art of Georgia O’Keeffe.

Students also practiced several watercolor techniques and the

Japanese art of Sumi-E painting with bamboo brushes and ink.

They also made many different origami folds during a unit on

East Asian art.

The fifth graders have studied form and value during a still life drawing and through

utilizing different shading techniques. Creating abstractions from realistic objects was also the

focus of a unit based on Pablo Picasso’s art. Folk art of the African American slaves was also

studied, and students created clay face jugs. The final unit for the fifth grade was based on

linear perspective drawing of a city scene where each student created their ideal city. Each

student was encouraged to express their individuality with the details in their city scene.



In conclusion, this has been a very productive and exciting year for the students. Each

student takes their artwork home both midway during the year and at the end of the year in an

art folder or portfolio.

MUSIC:

Cynthia Peterson

Band students at Moody have kept busy this year with

two school concerts and a performance at the All City Music

Festival. School concerts include such titles as "Blue Ribbon

March, "Mickey Mouse March”, "Blue Note Rock" and "Star

Wars". Students at a Flag Day ceremony performed "Star

Spangled Banner" and "You're a Grand Old Flag". Those who

performed at the Moody School Promotion played "This Land is

Your Land", "Hail, The Conquering Hero" and "America".







and June.

Charlotte Soja

This year in Moody’s General music classes we had a busy year. This was our second

year of implementing our new curriculum. Beside the delayed start with hurricanes and

autumn snow storms, the students worked hard to be ready for the winter concert. Over the

holiday season, we performed two winter concerts for an audience and one additional winter

show in an all school assembly. Select students had choral solos which they sung with amazing

confidence. The spring concerts this year will feature Moody

students singing general choral songs, and I always enjoy

throwing in at least a few Michael Jackson numbers. There will

be two performances. In the last few weeks of school I will be

organizing a teacher’s only song and dance routine to kick off

the summer reading program. Teachers will perform for the

students.

The students are currently working on completing their end of the year ‘Exit Exams’

which is a formal evaluation of K-5 students based on the curriculum. Results from these

evaluations will be complete by the end of the school year.



Wilbert Snow Elementary

ART:

Megan Martin

The students in kindergarten through grade five have learned about a variety of art

styles, artists, cultures, art history and art making techniques this year. They have studied

famous artworks in depth through class discussions, and through critical analysis about each

individual work of art. The students have also been given opportunities to view actual artworks

in a museum setting to enrich the art experience. Grade four students visited several art exhibits

at Wesleyan University in the fall, and Grade five students visited the Wadsworth Athenaeum

this past spring. Famous works of art are used as inspiration for most art projects, and students

use their knowledge about an artist’s work as a springboard for their own creativity.

The art field trip to Wesleyan University with the fourth graders was filled with fun

exciting activities for the students to take part in. They visited

the Gamelan, which is an instrumental chorus from Indonesia,

and listened to music from that culture. They students also had

an opportunity to play the instruments. They learned about the

Indonesian art of shadow puppetry, and also enjoyed visiting

the art galleries on the Wesleyan campus. Exhibitions at The

Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, The Davidson Art Center, and

the Mansfield Center for East Asian Studies were all viewed by

the students in small groups.

The art field trip to the Wadsworth Athenaeum with the fifth grades was a magnificent

experience. The students were given a tour of the museum by a docent and stopped to discuss

and respond to several works of art. Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Norman Rockwell, Stuart

Davis, Andy Warhol, and Vincent Van Gogh were just some of the artists whose work was

viewed by the students. The fifth graders completed a written activity at the commencement of

the museum tour to analyze one specific work of art of their choice.

In art class the students in grades kindergarten through grade five have had many

opportunities to experience art. Large scale art prints are mainly used to show students the

work of different artists, and occasionally a historical/cultural video will be used to exhibit a

work of art. PowerPoint presentations and museum websites viewed in the computer lab are

another way students have utilized technology to access great works of art. The following are

highlights of what each grade has studied in art class.

The kindergarteners have learned about line, shape,

color, and texture by studying the artwork of Wassily

Kandinski, Piet Mondrian, and Hokusai. Students made mixed

media line sculptures, tempera paintings, clay, and crayon

drawings to express themselves. Illustrations from a variety of

stories have also been used as inspiration for art making. The



most recent project was a butterfly drawing showing symmetry and pattern.

First graders have studied Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting and made a

painting/collage of their own flowers in a vase; they also made a three-dimensional paper

bedroom inspired from his “Bedroom at Arles” painting. The have made their own portraits

after viewing self-portraits by several artists. Claude Monet’s water lilies were also studied and

the students tried to emulate his painting style with oil pastels. A variety of cultures have been

studied also including African Masks, Indian Navaratna Jewelry, and Japanese Gyotaku (fish

printing).

Second graders studied the art of Henri Matisse and made story collages using a variety

of papers. Henri Rousseau was another famous artist they studied to learn about imagination

and landscape drawing. Student made jungle scenes that show depth with relation to the size of

objects in the drawing. Students also studied the artwork of Mary Cassatt and made their own

family portraits that express their feelings and the individual personalities of their family

members.

Third graders studied the art and writing of Faith

Ringgold and made geometric drawings inspired from her quilt

designs. Students also drew pictures about their aspirations and

dreams inside of the quilt designs. The students studied the

artwork of Grant Wood and discussed how his “rural” artwork

compared to the environment in which we live. Students made

portraits of themselves in front of an important place in

Middletown. This lesson connected to a unit based on local

architecture where the students made pencil drawings of Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, and

Federal style buildings. Students made clay leaf bowls by pressing actual leaves into the clay

and making a slumped bowl out of their slab. Some of the cultural projects studied in third

grade include aboriginal dreaming from Australia, and Jade paper mosaic masks inspired from

the Mayans.

The fourth graders studied large flower paintings by

Georgia O’Keeffe and used color blending with oil pastels to

create their own close up of a natural object. They also utilized

technology by altering a flower photo in a photo editing

program, which was inspired by the art of Georgia O’Keeffe.

Students also practiced several watercolor techniques and the

Japanese art of Sumi-E painting with bamboo brushes and ink.

They also made many different origami folds during a unit on

East Asian art.

The fifth graders have studied form and value during a still life drawing and through

utilizing different shading techniques. Creating abstractions from realistic objects was also the

focus of a unit based on Pablo Picasso’s art. Folk art of the African American slaves was also

studied, and students created clay face jugs. The final unit for the fifth grade was based on

linear perspective drawing of a city scene where each student created their ideal city. Each

student was encouraged to express their individuality with the details in their city scene.



In conclusion, this has been a very productive and exciting year for the students. Each

student takes their artwork home both midway during the year and at the end of the year in an

art folder or portfolio.

MUSIC:

Amy Chrzanowski

The band at Snow School has come a long way since September. The 4th graders started

with learning how to put their instruments together, care and maintenance, and how to make

sounds. They are now playing multiple parts in a band setting and preparing for their spring

concert. The 5th grade bands at Snow started with playing simple band songs to playing more

complex music with tempo and dynamic markings, staccato and tenuto markings, and more

difficult notes and rhythms. Along with the 4th and 5th grade lessons and band rehearsals,

which are during the day, Snow School and Spencer School also have a 5th grade Jazz bands

that practice in the morning before school. All band students perform in a winter concert and a

spring concert, as well as the All- City concert. The 5th grade flute choir performed at the Snow

School Curriculum Night as well. The band students are currently working on their end of the

year exit exams which will be available and evaluated for data at the end of the year.

Cynthia Peterson




before a packed crowd at the All City Festival and heard at their school concerts in May and

June.

Hallie Sorensen

Snow School students have been busy singing, playing, reading and playing a vast

variety of music. Major accomplishments include all students

singing and playing in the December concert, which featured

tradition, popular and novelty song that celebrate December

Holidays, including a skit based on the story of “Good King

Wenceslas” complete with costumes, singing and a recorder

consort.

January was highlighted with the drama club’s

productions of “Clowns.” Thirty-five third, fourth and fifth

graders entertained a full-house audience to this colorful, fully costumed production. An

evening program as well as a school performance was received with raving reviews!

On March 19th, “Minds in Motion” took place at Snow School. Both Mrs. Chrzanowski

and Mrs. Sorensen were presenters at this Saturday event. Students who took part in this

workshop made copper piping xylophones and well as rain sticks and terracotta wind chimes.



Curriculum night was held on May 17th. The third grade displayed their “invented

instruments.” These projects culminate their study of the “Instruments of the Orchestra” unit.

This hands-on exhibit was shown to parents and friends of the Snow School community. On

May 23rd, the kindergarten classes will present the musical “The Little Red Hen.” Students will

sing and narrate this children’s story. Two performances are planned, the first for the students

and an after-school performance for parents and friends.

Two spring concerts will be presented in June. (Grades 1-3 will perform on June 6th.

Grades 4 and 5 along the band will perform on June 8th.) The concert will be entitled

“Celebrating Summer.” As suggested by the title, the songs will reflect summer fun.



Bertrand E. Spencer Elementary

ART:

Kinga Zinowko

Here at Spencer, wonderful things have been happening in the

art room. Students explored variety of media, techniques, cultures

and artists. First grade students created beautiful collage portraits out

of wall paper. Second grade explored Japanese culture during their

Shoji Screen project. Third grade focused on architecture. They

created clay reliefs reflecting Middletown

architecture as well as dioramas based on

Faith Ringgold’s book Tar Beach. Fourth grade decorated our hallways

with African mixed media art. They used watercolors to paint a desert

landscape, used sharpies to draw a stylized Masai African figure and

used African patterned stamps to print a frame. Few chosen students

were also part of an afterschool art club. During that time, students

painted famous masterpieces on ceiling tiles.

Thanks to them, our art room looks great

with the ceiling full of paintings. Our fifth

graders focused on honing their drawing

skills. They created amazing mixed media portraits where they

showcased their color blending skills. Using Gustav Klimt’s work as

inspiration, they made Asian copper reliefs of samurai and geishas.

They also utilized their creativity and humor in describing “Why the

chicken crossed the road?” for our perspective drawing. All of our

students were able to create at least one clay project. Examples of

these works of art could have been seen at the Zilkha Gallery Art show at Wesleyan University

in March and at the Board of Ed. Art show in May. Over a thousand people came to see our

students’ artwork, making it a very successful show.

Fourth and fifth grade students also went on an art field trip. Fourth grade students

went to the New Britain Museum of Art.

They saw the phenomenal installation of

20,000 cups by Lisa Hoke, as well as the



whimsical exhibition of Martin Kline who used wax and color to create

textural, thought-provoking pieces. Fifth grades went to the

Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford. They saw original works of art by

such famous artists as Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and many others.

At the end of the trip, students wrote a reflection, discussing questions

they would pose to their favorite artist.

MUSIC:

Amy Chrzanowski

The band at Spencer School has come a long way since September. The 4th graders

started with learning how to put their instruments together, care and maintenance, and how to

make sounds. They are now playing multiple parts in a band setting

and preparing for their spring concert. The 5th grade bands at Snow and

Spencer started with playing simple band songs to playing more

complex music with tempo and dynamic markings, staccato and tenuto

markings, and more difficult notes and rhythms. Along with the 4th

and 5th grade lessons and band rehearsals, which are during the day,

Spencer School also has a 5th grade Jazz band that practices in the

morning before school. All band students perform in a winter concert

and a spring concert, as well as the All-City concert. The 5th grade flute

choir performed at the Spencer School Curriculum Night as well. The

band students are currently working on their end of the year exit exams which will be available

and evaluated for data at the end of the year.

Cynthia Peterson

Band students at Spencer School have kept busy this year with two school concerts and

a performance at the All City Music Festival. School concerts include such titles as "Blue Ribbon

March, "Mickey Mouse March", "Blue Note Rock" and "Star Wars". Students at a Flag Day

ceremony will perform "Star Spangled Banner" and "You're a Grand Old Flag". Those who

perform at the Moody School Promotion will play "This Land is Your Land", "Hail, The

Conquering Hero" and "America".







and June.



Liza Siegel

The students at Spencer School worked very hard this

year on singing, playing instruments and moving to music. All

of the students participated in two concerts. The first took place

in December. This concert

featured music with a winter and

December Holiday theme. The

second concert took place in

June. This concert featured

songs about holidays throughout the year, such as Mother's Day,

Father's Day and Halloween.

There are many curriculum highlights to celebrate.

Kindergarten worked on learning vocabulary words to describe

music and how to show a steady beat. First grade started to read

music notation and enjoyed acting out different animals to the

famous piece "Carnival of the

Animals". Second grade started

to learn about harmony by

singing songs in two parts and

liked the story of "Peter and the

Wolf" told through music. Grade three began to play the

recorder and learn about different families of the orchestra.

Fourth grade dove into Jazz and improvisation. Grade 5 studied

musical form and successfully finished the recorder program

called "Recorder Karate".

During the first half of the year, students in grades four

and five had the option to sing in

the Spencer School Chorus.

Many students participated and

sang two pieces in the winter

concert. The music selections

were difficult and the students worked hard to perform them

well. Select Spencer School fourth and fifth graders also had the

option to participate in the Middletown All‐City Music in April.

Many students chose to play in the bands and recorder ensembles as well as sing in the chorus.



Vivian McRae Wesley Elementary

ART:

Kinga Zinowko

Wesley students have been very busy this year.

Following the art curriculum, students in grades K-5 have

worked with variety of media, including crayons, markers,

pastels, watercolors, paints and many other things. Students

were introduced to a lot of different

artists, such as Monet, Picasso, Mary

Cassatt, Gustav Klimt, Jackson Pollock,

Faith Ringgold and Henri Matisse. First

grade students created beautiful collage

portraits out of wall paper. They

learned about variety of lines and shapes, which they used to make

wonderful patterns and designs. Second grade students explored

Japanese culture during their Shoji Screen

project. Just like Henri Matisse, they “drew

with scissors and sculpted with color." Third

grade focused on architecture. They created clay reliefs reflecting

Middletown architecture as well as dioramas based on Faith Ringgold’s

book Tar Beach. Fourth grade decorated our

hallways with African mixed media art. They

used watercolors to paint a desert landscape,

used sharpies to draw a stylized Masai African

figure and used African patterned stamps to

print a frame. Both teachers and parents commented on the beautiful

work they did. Our fifth graders focused on honing their drawing

skills. They created amazing mixed media

portraits where they showcased their color

blending skills. Using Gustav Klimt’s work as

inspiration, they made Asian copper reliefs of samurai and geishas.

They also utilized their creativity and humor in describing “Why the

chicken crossed the road?” for our

perspective drawing. During art

enrichment, fifth grades students

worked on a battle cap mural for the

cafeteria. They also created a 3-

Dimentional sculpture inspired by the glass artist Dale Chihuly.

Overall, all of our students did a wonderful job on all of their



projects. Their enthusiasm and love for the arts shows thru in everything they do.

Fourth and fifth grade students also went on an art field trip. Fourth grade students

went to the New Britain Museum of Art. They saw the

phenomenal installation of 20,000 cups by Lisa Hoke, as well as

the whimsical exhibition of Martin Kline who used wax and

color to create textural, thought-provoking pieces. Fifth grades

went to the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford. They saw

original works of art by such famous artists as Salvador Dali,

Pablo Picasso and many others. At the end of the trip, students

wrote a reflection, discussing questions they would pose to their

favorite artist.

MUSIC:

Stephen D’Amato

The 4th graders start in the beginning of the year and learn how to

put their instruments together, care and maintenance of their instruments,

and how to hold and make sounds. By the end of 4th grade they are

playing simple band songs as a group. In 5th grade band, they start off

where they left off in 4th and continue to learn new concepts, such as

dynamic markings, tempo markings, staccato and tenuto markings, and

more complicated notes and rhythms. We also have 5th grade beginners. In

lessons and band, we learn to play different styles of music with our songs

such as: marches, classical, pop, blues, rock, and jazz. The great thing

about music classes and band classes is that the students get to show

everything they have learned and have been working on at their concerts.

Our School puts on two performances a year, one in the winter and one in the spring. These

concerts are K-5 chorus and 4th and 5th grade band. In addition to the school concerts the 4th and

5th grade students perform in the All-City chorus and band concert as well. All the music

teachers are involved in all performances.




Cynthia Peterson





and June.



Jeannine Westbrook

Wesley School students have had an

excellent musical year. Kindergarten classes have

built a solid foundation in music reading skills

while enjoying singing, playing, and moving to

folk and classical music. Both kindergarten and

first graders worked hard on developing singing

voices with a focus on singing in tune. First

graders began learning to read, notate, create,

and play rhythmic patterns in addition to the first

formal study of an instrumental musical piece:

The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint

Saens. Second graders built on skills acquired in earlier grades by performing call and response

songs and rounds. Students learned to read and notate music on the staff. They conducted and

studied the classic musical tale Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev. Third grade students

studied the instruments of the orchestra and learned to classify them into families and identify

them by sight or sound in classical music. Music reading skills were put into action with the

study of the recorder. Most students are now able to read and play melodies with a 3‐5 note

range at sight. Fourth grade students continued to excel in performance on recorders while

studying jazz as a musical genre. Fourth graders

continued to expand vocal ranges utilizing songs

in both major and minor tonalities. Music reading

and notating skills were demonstrated by taking

simple musical dictation; both rhythmic and

melodic. The Wesley fifth graders learned to

compose short melodies in G major and play

them on recorders. Students expanded vocal

ranges beyond a single octave and explored the

difference between reading in the keys of G major

and C major. Students compared genres of

musical theater. In addition classes learned about the different simple forms of musical pieces

such as AB, ABA, and theme and variations.

All grades performed in a holiday concert in December as well as in our “Pops” concert

in June. Select fourth and fifth graders also performed in the annual All‐City Concert. Members

of the Dance Club worked collaboratively every Friday before school to choreograph a group

dance that was performed at the spring concert. Finally, all music students took grade level and

instrumental music exit exams. Assessments are written and performance based. Data from the

results will be available and analyzed during the summer in order to continue to improve music

instruction at all levels



The Elizabeth Swaim Strings Program

Pinar Gosterisli

This year the Elizabeth Swaim after-school program had

six classes of beginner-level violins, which is the largest class in

all nine years. Also, many classes

surpassed the playing levels of

previous years. This year marked

our first ever viola class which is

a big milestone for the program. Students performed successful

winter and spring concerts and also participated in the All‐City

Strings Festival.

As a whole, the Swaim after-school program worked on

intonation, rhythmic accuracy, and especially on good sound

production. Students worked on correct playing posture,

timbre, and bow control to accomplish a good tone essential for

musical expression. Students

practiced performing

individually and in groups, both

small and large, blending

instrumental timbres, matching dynamic levels, and responding

to the cues of a conductor. String performers showed musical

expression through a variety of repertoire, representing diverse

genres and styles.

Lauren Otto

We have had a busy year in the Elizabeth Swaim Strings

Program. We meet at Keigwin Middle School once a week for

45 minutes after-school. Lessons are offered for Violin, Viola,

and ‘Cello, from a beginning Level One through an advanced

Level Four (and occasionally even Level Five). The program has

four instructors(Pinar Gosterisli,

Lauren Otto, Catalina Puerta,

and Kayla Remain), as well as

numerous high school assistants, and boasts approximately 120

students ranging in age from first grade through parents!

We are so proud of all our students’ hard work

throughout the year! We held our first concert on December 20,

2011 at the Middletown High School Performing Arts Center.



This concert came following just eight rehearsals, thanks in part to Hurricane Irene and the

Halloween snowstorm/power-outage. Many of our students were just learning to hold their

instruments when we began in October, and performed

beautifully in December.

As our students progress, it is wonderful to see their

enthusiasm for music grow. We typically end our program with

the fourth year, following which the

students join the Keigwin String

Orchestra upon entering 6th grade.

However, as some students begin early,

or progress quickly, our ‘Cello instructor

Pinar Gosterisli has begun offering a fifth year class as well!

Parent support has been vital to the success of the Strings

Program, and it is great to see the number of parents that observe their

child’s lesson, or, better yet, participate in the lesson alongside their son

or daughter! We have also been very fortunate to have so many

assistants volunteer their time from the Middletown High

School Band and Orchestra. These older students are not only

talented and dedicated musicians, but are also inspiring to the

young children just starting out in music. It is truly a testament

to the strength of the Music Program, and Arts Department as a

whole, to have juniors and seniors in high school so invested in

fostering a love for music in a younger generation.



Keigwin Middle School

ART:

Susan Meehl

This year once again, was made up of THREE CYCLES of art

lasting 60 days a piece. Each cycle Students created the

following projects.

Radial Name Design (Math related Op art). Color Theory,

Repetition, Shape, Line, Space, Pattern, Movement, Balance.

Optical Art Design (Math related Op art) Balance, Pattern,

Symmetry, Repetition, Contrast, Rhythm, Line, Movement.

Value Chart- creating value from light to dark in six separate

boxes, then one continuous line from

light to dark. Finally, three Shapes that

become forms through shading.

Rainforest Animals from Central and South America (World Cultures

related) Line, Shape, Color, Space, Form, Value, Emphasis, Unity.

3-D paper mache Mask, based on MAYAN, INCAS, AZTECS tribes

(World Culture related) Balance, Pattern, Form

Wire Figure Sculpture- 3-D sculpture, form showing proportion,

and movement. Paper mache, wire, acrylic paint

Chinese Banners- Celebrating Chinese New Year. Red (joy) paper

banners that have Chinese characters that represent important words to

students written in Black and highlighted with Gold.

Japanese Koi Fish sketching, outlining, and then water coloring Koi Fish

in a pond. (Represent our Koi Pond). Painting techniques, Brush

Techniques, Value with Paint. Paint Control.

Pop Art Poster Based on the POP ART Movement of the 1960's. Create a

product, a slogan, in a poster advertisement form. Create your own

brand, NO COPYRIGHT issues. Limited color,

red, yellow, and blue. Black outline or final

color. Acrylic paint.

The third and final cycle of Art students made 12x12

inch watercolor sunflowers paintings with messages of hope for

CANCER SURVIVOR Day our second year in a row, held here in

Middletown at the Cancer Center on Saybrook Rd. The paintings are

donated to cancer survivor patients. The patients LOVE them. The

event was held May 20, 2012 Approximately 115 Keigwin students are

represented.



The B.O.E. Art Show May 10th,

2012. Twenty-one Keigwin students are

represented by Keigwin students.

The Middletown Public Schools Art

Show March of 2012 was represented by 74

Keigwin students.

The Chinese banners decorated the

halls of Keigwin during the Cultural

Dinner in May. Almost all students were represented.

Both the Students and I have enjoyed another wonderfully successful year here at Keigwin.



MUSIC:

David Daddario

Performances of the Keigwin Middle School Band from the

2011-2012 school year included: Winter Concerts at both MHS and

Keigwin, the All-City Music Festival Concert, the Keigwin Cultural

Dinner, the Middletown Veterans Memorial Day Parade, and Spring

Concerts at both MHS and Keigwin. Additionally, the band embarked

on their 31st Annual Elementary Schools Concert Tour, visiting all eight

elementary schools this past April, to spark an

interest in joining Band!

Fundamentals covered in Band classes

this year included: rhythm counting,

conducting, music terms, and concert Bb, Eb, and

F Major Scales. Students also received and

signed a Band Contract, Winter and Spring

newsletters, and a practice CD of our scales and

all concert music.

For more information about the goings

on of the Keigwin Middle School Band, such as music fundamentals,

concert letters, band newsletters, MP3 recordings of concert

performances, and links to music stores and instrument repairmen,

please visit our website:

http://www.middletownschools.org/page.cfm?p=9275.



Pinar Gosterisli

This year, along with a large number of experienced string players, many beginner

students including viola players were recruited for the strings program at Keigwin. Students

performed at the Keigwin Winter Concert, participated in the All‐City Strings Festival, and

played at the Keigwin Spring Concert in early June.

The students in this program learned to perform with expression and technical accuracy.

Proper posture was enforced in every lesson. Students learned proper names of an instrument’s

parts, strings, and the importance of the bow. Tone quality and intonation became the crux of

developing a desirable sound. Students were taught the A and G Major Scales and were able to

understand the difference between whole and half steps. These scales, along with repertoire,

were performed in a variety of sixteenth note rhythms. Prior to the Winter Concert, students

were taught proper concert behavior and the responsibilities as individual players. At the

concert, they experienced performing together as a group and applied the concepts learned thus

far.

In the spring semester, the beginning students exhibited understanding of dynamics and

how to play with legato bow strokes and slurred bows. Violin and viola students learned to

play low second finger and cello students learned high fourth finger. All instrumentalists

learned extended positions on respective instruments. Advanced players worked on developing

a vibrato and position changes. The final performance was the Spring Concert using all of the

concepts learned throughout the year. Beginner level students played pieces such as: Allegro,

Perpetual Motion, Beethoven's Ninth. Advanced musicians played: Thriller, Banana Boogie,

Burst and Fiddles on Fire.

Elisabeth Stevens

The general music program at Keigwin is a survey course that is intended to develop

listening, writing and music literacy skills. Students experience many different styles of music

through daily listening activities that contribute to a broad exposure of genres including

classical, jazz, and world music. A monthly open-ended response writing sample is employed

to support the district’s writing emphasis in preparing students for CMTs as well as a variety of

math integrations. Students are also responsible for projects

throughout the year. This year students researched a musical

instrument of the orchestra resulting in a poster project that they

then presented to their class.

Students in general music also explore numerous topics

in music ranging from history to theory to basic keyboard skills.

All students are required to keep a journal/notebook as note

taking skills are especially emphasized. Most exams are “open notebook” to support the

organizational skills that are developing at this level. Progress in the keyboard lab is monitored

through the use of “star charts” where students earn a star for each successful playing

assignment. Rhythmic and note accuracy are assessed both informally and through the use of

rubrics so that students receive specific feedback toward improvement in both areas as their

skills develop.



Woodrow Wilson Middle School

ART:

Stacy Buckley

Computer Graphics

Students in 7th grade are being introduced to using basic tools in

Adobe Photoshop CS. Are learning how to edit and combine images to

create fluid pieces of art based on art history

research and pop art movements. The eight

graders are continuing to pilot the Memory collage common

assessment task developed by a group of teachers from around the

state, including Ms. Buckley (WWMS)

and Ms. Iovanne (MHS).

Mural Projects

After school student are

working on finishing painting the MC

Escher mural. This mural project is a replica of Metamorphose

which spans the length of a hallway. Some students are also

working on creating a Modrian mural in their free time when

they finish a project. They are focusing on leveling skills as well

as working together to create a finish project. I have also worked with

students in planning and executing teamed visual displays for classrooms.

Talking About Art

Students continue to learn how plan

out and reflect on their work which is an

extremely important part of the creative

process. They are learning how to describe

art using proper art terminology and

critiquing methods. They learn how to use problem solving skills to plan

and create the best work they can. They use

many materials from Oil Pastels, Water Color

Pen and Ink, Tempera and Acrylic Paints, Colored pencils,

Drawing Pencils, ETC.

Art Shows

This year there were over 160 students whose artwork was

displayed from WWMS at the Zilka Gallery and BOE. The work

ranged from painting drawing, sculpture and mixed media.



Julie Dunn

Grade 7 students were allowed to choose a sea creature and create that sea creature out

of wire. Students were allowed to add colored wire, beads, buttons, and other decorative items.

Students were able to come up with very creative ideas!

Seventh graders also learned about different architectural

styles and were able to choose their own style to create a 3D

model of a home. Students were asked to build their home

based on an environment of their choice. Students built

multiple level homes, decks, porches, balconies, garages,

gardens and furniture!

Grade 8 students were able to choose a letter, number

or word that was significant to them and their life in some

way. Students constructed the sculpture with a chipboard and paper

mache. Students were then able to paint their sculpture with colors and

patterns of their choice. Students also created

a clay box as their culminating 8th grade

sculpture assignment. They learn how to

construct a box out of clay and create a lid.

Students also choose a theme for their box

that represents them in some way. Students

create symbols and words which they create

and attach to the box as well as carve into the

box. Students are then able to choose their own colors to paint the

box.



MUSIC:

Justine Gatti

Throughout the year, 7th and 8th grade General Music students of

WWMS share ideas and collaborate as a keyboard ensemble, working

together learning the melodies, harmonies and rhythms of their favorite

songs on the radio today, in addition to some classics. Students are

encouraged and motivated to recommend personal favorite songs that

we could learn in class on the keyboards, demonstrating why they think

it would be a good song for us to study. Breaking off into separate

parts, students practice both individually and in small groups on their

specified piece of music within the ensemble, constantly striving to perfect their performance

with an overall goal to put parts together and perform the song as one large keyboard

ensemble.

WWMS General Music students not only learn how to

perform these songs, but dive into the complex theory of the

music behind these compositions, discovering exactly what it is

they are producing, and why those parts work together so well.

Students learn the definitions of melody, harmony, chorus,

verse, bass-line, background, how to construct Major and Minor

Chords, and what the role of their part is within a song; i.e. what

the harmony part does vs. the melody, or what the job of the bass-line is in a specific song. Once

students have mastered their music, they take on the role of teacher within their group to make

sure that everyone else on their part understands the music and will be able to perform with

others. These students take responsibility for their music and ownership over their class.

Evaluating and assessing their rehearsals along the way,

students ultimately work to a final performance of the piece,

record their work, and then have the opportunity to listen and

critique their musicianship. WWMS General Music students

have learned advanced music theory concepts and ensemble

responsibilities through popular songs by Drake, Wiz Khalifa,

Lil Wayne, Jay Z, Journey, R. Kelly, LMFAO, Michael Jackson,

and others.

In addition to the performance aspect of the class, WWMS General Music students have

also explored different avenues music has to offer, realizing how

integral music has become to human existence. This includes,

but is not limited to, a look into Musical Theater, the affect music

has had on our health and the prominent use of Music Therapy

in the world today focusing on Congresswoman Gabby Giffords,

music in our everyday lives- jingles, commercials, movies,

elevators, the grocery store, Music Production - what goes into

organizing a soundtrack- creating their own, and also, a look



into the backgrounds of the lives of some of their favorite artists.

Students also had the opportunity this year to learn about the history of the Ukulele, and

how to play this string instrument as well as Guitar. Learning about Major and Chromatic

scales, students learn how to determine notes on a stringed instrument as opposed to the piano,

how to tune the instrument, how to hold it, and how to perform chord progressions to popular

songs they enjoy. At the end of the school year, students began to collaborate on songs of their

choice in small groups, combining their skills on the different instruments we have learned,

essentially creating small bands.

Pinar Gosterisli

Students performed at the Woodrow Wilson Winter Concert, participated in the All‐City

String Festival and played at the Woodrow Wilson Spring Concert in May. Orchestra also

travelled to Hershey Park, PA to participate in Music in the Parks adjudicated event. String

orchestra received an “excellent” score from the two judges and performed with confidence and

skill. The students in this program learned to perform with expression and technical accuracy.

Students performed music representing diverse genres and cultures, with expression and

technical accuracy. This program recapped the previous year's concepts and techniques before

beginning new materials. Students learned two and three-octave scales with extended positions.

Cello players learned second and fourth positions while all instrumentalists learned to play

with complex bow strokes and exact bow lengths to get a unified tone as an orchestra. Students

learned more sophisticated dynamics and accents as well as the concept of form, such as: ABA,

binary forms, and Da Capo.

The Spring Semester brought about new concepts to be mastered. Students learned to

play with detached, marcato and spiccato bow strokes and to put the arm weight into bow

strokes.

Students learned to create different tone colors with different bowing and were

encouraged to experiment with bow speeds and placements. The year ended by perfecting the

pieces for the Spring Concert applying all of the concepts learned throughout the year. This

year’s students performed: Spanish Dance, Circle Dance, Cello’s Ole, Burst, and Sahara

Crossing.



Steve Matthews

The grade-level choirs have been working throughout the year on music fundamentals,

performing with musicality, and presenting a positive and appropriate demeanor on stage. The

7th grade chorus performed in the Winter Concert in December, as well as selected members in

the annual Holiday on Main Street the Friday after

Thanksgiving. The seventh grade group also performed in the

Spring Concert at Woodrow Wilson Middle School on Tuesday,

May 22nd.

The 8th grade chorus, in addition to working on proper

presentation, concert etiquette, and overall musicality, is more

heavily involved in the performance end of things, having

performed in the Winter Concert, Holiday on Main Street, and Spring Concert. In addition to

these, the eighth graders performed in the town’s annual All‐City Concert at Wesleyan

University on April 28th, where they were very well received with successful performances of

Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds”, and an arrangement of the Queen hit, “Bohemian Rhapsody.

This experience proved to be especially positive for the eighth graders, as evidenced by the

thunderous applause afterward.

Additionally, the eighth grade chorus performed at the Music In the Parks Music

Festival at Hershey Park on May 18th. The chorus had the opportunity to perform for judges,

consisting of veteran collegiate level choir directors, and

students from other schools participating in the festival. Our

chorus each year has always brought home trophies with at least

a rating of “Excellent” and a high place ranking. This trip has

been a great reward to students, and has proved to be a great

time to bond between teacher and students.

The select chorus, which is an audition only group that

meets once per week after school, performed with all of the above groups, both as a part of each

grade level ensemble, and separately on its own. The select chorus consists of both seventh and

eighth graders, and is a treble choir, meaning it consists entirely of sopranos and altos. The

music of the select chorus tends to be more challenging, to offer serious singers the opportunity

to stretch their musical legs.

Aaron Sinicrope

The Woodrow Wilson Jazz Band, 7th Grade Band, and 8th Grade Band have learned so

much this year!! The two concert bands learned some new major scales and several minor

scales. More importantly, we learned about why minor scales exist: they are the “musical

alphabet” from which sad and eerie songs are made. The Jazz Band also studied the pattern for

a “jazz scale” (or “blues scale”), something that every jazz player needs to know to belt out an

awesome solo.

Along with these fundamentals, we reviewed how important it is to have good posture,

instrument position, and focus. A player can know all of their notes and rhythms, but without



the right physical and mental attitude, they won’t play with enough intensity and accuracy. As

with everything, attitude makes a world of difference!

The 7th Grade Band always takes a year off from All City, but this year, we had about 20

7th graders who were talented enough to be asked to join the 8th grade for this performance—

and it was excellent!! Mr. Sinicrope was very proud of how well they represented Woodrow

Wilson. There was no time to take a break, though, because we had to keep working to get

ready for our annual trip to Hershey, PA on May 18. Again, with help from many 7th graders,

the 8th Grade Band and Jazz Band were adjudicated by accomplished and respected band

directors. They gave us feedback on what we do well and what we need to work on to play

better as an ensemble. It was a great experience for the kids—both to hear this musical feedback

and to spend the weekend in Hershey Park with their friends!! Our musicians did great, and

came back with the prestigious "Esprit de Corps" award for the school with the most spirit and

the best behavior! Congratulations!!



THEATER:

Rachel Newman



Middletown High School

ART:

Nicole Iovanne, Charlotte McCoid, and Patrick Shugrue

The art department at MHS is in the process of moving

forward with an increased number of students, quality of work

and interaction in the community.

Three years ago we had only four classes at MHS in

drawing and painting, with students few in number. How should we measure progress? We

could measure it by the number of students taking visual art; we could

also measure it by the quality of art work and the independent scoring of

the students work on the AP portfolio. Finally we could measure it by the

number of students accepted into good art programs at the post high

school level.

This year started with the 80th anniversary of the MHS art club

founded in 1931 by Mary E. Bennett. We

started a new tradition with a student

sponsored art club show. Junior Lydia

Tonkonow helped organize the show

along with the art teachers at MHS and

Ann Marie Cannata from the Buttonwood Tree and NEAR Inc.

The show was held in conjunction with Holiday on Main Street.

Guests included President Larry McHugh from the Chamber of

Commerce ans Mayor Dan Drew. The student art show is an example of art related events that

can highlight student leadership in the visual arts.

Our students entered the state scholastic art show

sponsored by the C.A.E.A. (Connecticut Art Educators

Association), held at the University of Hartford in January. It

was very selective and although 8 artworks were submitted,

only 4 were accepted. All of them were recognized for their

efforts. Two Advanced Pottery students received gold metals

and one honorary mention. An Advanced Drawing and

Painting student also received an honorary mention award.

Needless to say we are still in the rebuilding stage of the art

program; 95% of student work in the Wesleyan Art Show was

from students with one or two years of high school art.

For the first time since May of 1981 our students work

grew beyond the traditional high school space at the annual

system-wide art exhibit at the Zilkha Gallery, we actually had

three times the amount of art work than any previous year of the



art show for our high school students! The quality of work has

improved. Our students are encouraged to develop their own

compositions and draw from life. The visitors from the Old

Lyme Arts Academy stated that they would take any of our

juniors.

We had 25 students participate in the “Big Draw” at

Wesleyan University in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of

the Davidson Art Gallery. Professor Julia Randall and Professor Claire Rogan were very much

impressed with the caliber of our students! The students from Middletown High were in

charge of one event entitled “Tableaux Levant”. Our students were divided into three

categories, one group posed in period costume, the second group demonstrated drawing

technique, and the third group helped facilitate the concept of

drawing for the general public. The event was a success and

once again provided a stage for student leadership and success.

Two student shows happens in May. The Middletown

Superintendent’s B.O.E. exhibit highlights students who may or

may not have been part of the March event.

Finally, seniors in the arts have a final exhibit with

awards bestowed by the Middletown Commission on the Arts,

and the MHS’s Parent and Teacher Association at the end of the

month. Established artists judge student work and one is chosen

to be framed and exhibited for one year at the municipal

building. Also, MHS’s Parent and Teacher Association purchase

student work as part of the high school’s permanent collection.

Our students are also involved in the senior mural

project in which each class of the new high school presents a

senior mural designed and painted by the students. The 2011 mural is already hanging in the

north hall. The 2009 and 2010 murals are on the way! In order to have some consistency with

the murals it was decided that each mural would have four components, the blue dragon, the

MHS building, something of Middletown and the year of the mural.

In order to be fair to all the Middletown students of the past we started the Alumni

Mural project. Students from the past who attended the two Woodrow Wilson High Schools

and the three past Middletown High Schools are working on the

alumni murals. The mural for the first Middletown High 1894-

1973 is already sketched out by a member of the class of 1966,

Sandra DiPietro. The oldest alumni that came in to work are

Marion D’Amico from the Middletown High class of 1937!

The murals will be placed above the lockers starting in

the north hallway with the first Middletown High from Court

St, followed by the first Woodrow Wilson High 1931-1956. The

students will have their high school names with the year of



graduation! The alumni murals will have the Wildcat or Tiger and something of the time

period for each school.

The highly successful Benefit Bowl took place for the 5th year on March 28, collaboration

between the Arts and Family and Consumer science. Ceramic bowls are either made or

decorated by MHS art students or donated by other artists from

Wesleyan Potters. The FBLA students are responsible for the

food and the organizing of a dinner served in the bowl which is

taken home by the attendee. Students, parents, teachers and the

greater community support the event. Altogether, we raised

about $1700 for the Amazing Grace food pantry. Our biggest

obstacle was advertising with limited funds and fewer public

venues.

Facilities are good with a few exceptions. A HEPA

vacuum for the Pottery space is highly recommended due to the

high level of dust and the time it stays suspended in the air. The

photography room has no access to the outside nor windows for

natural light. It is hot and dry; there is low air flow in a room

that uses many chemicals.

All art teachers have six classes with limited time in a materials based program. We have

been very concerned about adequate funding for this past year

and are for the foreseeable future.

As we move forward some concerns remain. We need to

have students that are interested in art and take art for the full

four years in order to develop a portfolio. These classes are

imperative for the student to have access to a good art school or

university. Many don’t realize that a good art portfolio is as

important as the GPA and SAT scores for being accepted into a

good program! We are always working on new concepts that will improve our art program.

The art program was the first special subject introduced at Middletown High in the fall of 1898

when the Middletown Board of Education hired Mary E. Bennett to teach art!

Photo I classes had approximately 134 students enrolled. Photo II classes had

approximately 75 students enrolled. This year our capacity was dropped from 24 to 20 allowing

students more frequent access to equipment like cameras and enlargers. Darkroom

photography is a highly

technical process requiring

problem solving and patience.

Large classes take many weeks

to become self-sufficient with

equipment and developing

processes. The instructor and

groups of students are often split



between the computer lab and the darkroom on different tasks. Two paraprofessionals and

three peer tutors have helped with students in a few classes, and more are needed.

Our funding has allowed us to afford costly paper and film we

need for darkroom work and we have not had to ask our students for a

lab fee. Other districts (such as Amity High and Bristol Central) charge

their students for film and paper, some up to $35.00. Most students

taking photography heavily rely on the equipment we provide to them,

primarily 35mm SLR, 35mm point and shoot and digital point and

shoot cameras. Constant maintenance of this equipment and darkroom

equipment is essential to keep classes

continuing their work. It has been the

responsibility of the instructor to oil

and fix enlargers, maintain a wide variety of batteries for

cameras, recovery silver chemistry to send out to the refinery

as governed by EPA rules and contact manufactures when

equipment is in need of maintenance or replacement. Students

have access to hot shoe flash units & one studio light. A PTA

grant allowed us to purchase an Epson 2880 printer and professional 13x19 papers to print

digital work this spring. This will allow us to compete with other districts able to output

students’ work at a professional level and have work selected as a purchase award during the

Senior Show. A Professional Improvement Fund Grant allowed the instructor to bring current

information to students with a lecture by photographer and teacher Sandy Skoglund,

workshops with two Connecticut Photography teachers and an Adobe Flash course to update

digital skills. Photo II students continue to participate in a digital photography unit for the

Connecticut Arts Assessment Initiative with the State Department of Education.

Over 100 photography students had the opportunity to display their work at Wesleyan’s

Zilkha Gallery, The Board of Education offices and in the Senior Show in the MHS Media

Center as well as through regular MHS changeable exhibit spaces in the Media Center and a

special configuration of frames located outside our classroom. Three students submitted

photographs to Rosa DeLauro’s Third District Congressional Art Competition receiving

certificates of participation in April.

Another spring Photography field trip to The Bruce Museum and

the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art allowed exposure to

photographers and artists such as I Spy series photographer and

Connecticut resident Walter Wick. Docents led tours gave students extra

insight into the work and how it was created. This trip was partially

funded by museum Title I scholarships.

Each year students ask for photography courses that go beyond

Photo I & II. Currently they are advised to contact guidance and /or

request to be a peer tutor the following year. Next year, there will be a

need for at least one college bound senior to produce a photography

portfolio for college. One way to expand art and technology offerings



would be to create an introductory course in digital art making. Also, more accomplished

Photo II students could benefit by continuing more independent photography studies if they

were to be imbedded within an existing Photo II class the

following year for a Photo III credit.



MUSIC:

Kimberly Everson and Marco Gaylord

Before school even began, the Marching Band was

practicing the halftime show during preseason two weeks before

the first day of school. The Blue Dragon Marching Band won

many awards in Division VI and had the largest competitive band in the state of Connecticut.

In the midst of marching rehearsals on Sundays, three

marching band competitions, and five football games, select

players also prepared for the Charter Oak Music Festival in mid-

November and Regional

auditions the weekend after.

All ensembles changed

gear from marching to concert

music to ensure a strong performance on Sunday, December

18th, 2011. Some students performed in all four ensembles at

the winter concert – Jazz Band, Full Orchestra, Wind Ensemble,

and Concert Band.

Upon our return from winter break, we quickly began

preparation for all the events coming up at the end of the year.

We simultaneously prepared all four groups for the Pops

Concert on March 25th, 2012

with concert music; the trip to

Disneyland from April 9th to

April 13th, 2012 with parade

technique; the All-City Concert on April 28th with stand tunes;

the Liverpool Legends benefit concert on May 5th, 2012; our

May concert on May 24th, 2012 with an “Around the World”

multicultural theme; the Memorial Day Parade with parade formation; the Strings All-City

Concert on May 30th, 2012; and finally a final rehearsal all

together to prepare for next year’s halftime show.

While the instrumental students were constantly

practicing for the next upcoming

event, the AP music theory

students studied for the AP

Exam on May 9th, 2012. In the

background, members of the Tri-M National Music Honors

Society raised enough funds to distribute over $1000 in

scholarships at the end of the year by working concession sales

at over twenty-five performances throughout the year in the Middletown High School Center

for the Performing Arts.



Michael Gosselin

Selected Chamber Choir students performed the National Anthem at the 10th

anniversary of 9/11 on the Green in Middletown.

Selected singers from Concert and Chamber Choir performed in the Charter Oak Music

Festival at Bacon Academy November 10.

Choir students lead the singing on the town green for Holiday on

Main Street kickoff ceremonies.

Chamber Choir singers performed at The Evening of Elegance Feb.

25 and the Exchange Club concert on Dec. 10.

Selected students performed at the

Adopt-a-Family event sponsored by the

Middletown Police Department on

Saturday, December 17.

Music students audition for and

perform in the Southern Region Music Festival Jan. 13-14,

sponsored by the CMEA and NAMFE.



Forty-eight selected music students travel to Holyoke

MA to compete in the Music In The Parks music competition on

May 4. Groups placed 1st in both the Mixed Choir and Madrigal

Choir divisions and scored ratings of Superior and Excellent.

Students took home the Overall trophy for highest score of any

choir and student Michael Cho won an individual award for best

soloist.

Selected students performed the National Anthem at the Annual State PTA meeting at

Fantasia in North Haven and Governor Dannel Malloy was in attendance.

Singers performed their three concerts on December 7 (Winter), March 19 (Pops) and

May 16 (Spring) and performed at Graduation on June 20.

Pinar Gosterisli

This year has been extremely busy for the High

School String Orchestra, performing in five concerts with

two different ensembles. Students performed at the

Middletown High School Winter Concert, the Pops Concert

and the Spring Concert. The orchestra performed with

“Beatles, Liverpool Legends”

in a rock music concert.

Students also performed in the All‐City String Festival as a string

orchestra and full orchestra. Students played a large repertoire of

music spanning many genres and cultural backgrounds. They also

played a varied repertoire of Latin jazz, rock music, movie

soundtracks, musicals, original compositions, and standard

classical repertoire by Bach, Mozart and Tchaikovsky.

After a short recap of last year’s concepts students began

learning flat keys in three-

octave scales using first to fifth

positions. Also, student started

working on vibrato in their

respective instruments.

The spring semester began with the ninth grade

students experimenting with bow strokes, speeds and

pressure to achieve different tonal colors for musical

expression. Students worked on getting a larger core sound from their instruments leading to a

larger, balanced in-tune orchestra sound. Orchestra worked on balance, dynamics and

uniformed bow strokes for obtaining a large and well blended orchestral timbre.



Ali Sinicrope

Students who participated in piano class this year began with a new book: Alfred’s All

in One Adult Piano Course. This new book allowed students to learn basic theory alongside

fundamentals for beginner piano. The book also included an accompaniment CD that was

distributed to every student so that they can listen to their music from home if they don’t have a

piano or keyboard to practice on. Additionally, our lessons were supplemented by Alfred’s

Theory Lessons on the computer where each student could learn and test on different topics.

All students in Piano Class are going to graduate Volume One of this method book by

June of 2012. This is a huge accomplishment as the lessons (especially towards the end of the

book) are difficult. The students, however, have exceled with this new method book and most

of the Piano One students have registered for Piano Two next year so they can continue their

studies with the second volume.

I am extremely proud of my piano students this year. Almost all of them came into the

class never having played the piano before and now they can not only play the music in our

book, they are independent learners who can find new music on their own and understand it

well enough to work out on their own. I’ve discovered some amazing talent this year as well—

and some of my students are even working on difficult pieces by Bach and Chopin to

supplement their studies.

We will conclude our year with a formal piano recital.



THEATER:

Christopher Briggs

The Theater Arts program at MHS is continuing its

successful run at bringing theater arts education to students.

The Acting classes continue to make strides toward

learning the craft of acting. More freshmen than ever were involved in the Acting classes and

they all plan on continuing throughout their high school careers.

In Acting I, students are introduced to the art of

improvisational acting. This type of acting gives students the

opportunity to explore many different types of characters and

emotions during one class session. It helps them get comfortable

working onstage and speaking in front of others. By not

focusing on a script, improvisational acting builds student’s

confidence that they can indeed express interesting emotions

and play fun characters. While learning the skill of improv, the

students start putting some of these new skills to use with

different monologues. In January, the Acting I class produced

an evening of monologues which was attended by over 100

family and friends. Many of the students overcame some initial

stage fright and surprised themselves by successfully

performing in front of an audience.

The Acting II students are working on improving their

improv skills by exploring longer more varied improvisational

scenes. They are also moving from performing monologues to

using their newfound skills in scripted scenes. Students are

exploring scenes from Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill, Sam

Shepard, August Wilson, and Samuel Beckett just to name a few.

They will perform some of these scenes at a “Scene Night” at the

end of the semester.

Acting III had a very exciting year. These students have been working hard at

the art of long form improv. This type of improv takes a

singular suggestion from the audience and creates a completely

original 30 minute long play on the spot. Their hard work was

rewarded this past December with a performance with the

famous Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB). The UCB touring

company came to MHS to put on an improv show. During the

afternoon, the Acting class attended a workshop given by these

professional improv actors. The class was then given the opportunity to open the show that

night. The class decided to call their group “Improv in Black.” They did a 20 minute set to start

off the show and performed to both popular and critical success. One of the members of UCB

remarked after the show how impressive it was that a public school offered such an



opportunity for students to experience theater in this way. He was also impressed by the level

of talent and preparation that our students exhibited.

The Acting IV class is building on the successes of Acting III. They are working on a

variety of long improv forms and are attempting a short play consisting of three one-acts called

Inside/Out. They are working on preparing a performance night where

they will show off their budding improv skills and present the short play.

The Directing class this year not only directed each other in short scenes,

but they also wrote their own short play. They successfully wrote,

directed, and performed in this play. Students were amazed that they

could do all three things successfully.

Again this year, the Drama Club had a number of successes. We

were able to increase student involvement, especially

among our minority student population. In the fall,

the Drama Club produced the play Robin Hood and

Maid Marian. The young man, who played Robin Hood, senior Jalen

Manzie, made his stage premier in this show. He, along with the whole

cast, did an amazing job.

In the spring, the Drama Club produced Hairspray. With a cast

size that rivaled last year’s production of Grease, the auditorium was

packed for every performance of this fun, challenging show.

Both productions this year brought

some excellent positive press to the Drama

Club, MHS, and the whole Middletown School District. Next

year’s productions hope to once again increase student

involvement, and provide an excellent showcase of our student’s

talents.

Overall, we had another successful year full of active

student engagement and

performance.



Middletown Teen Theater & Middletown Children’s Theater

MTT

Ali Sinicrope

This season Middletown Teen Theater will be taking on the hit musical Legally Blonde.

MTT is directed by Ali Sinicrope. Ali is the Co-Founder of both MTT & MCT. She has spent

years developing both programs to offer the best possible theater experiences for kids and teens.

This summer, Ali will be directing Legally Blonde and producing Willy

Wonka. Ali directed her 20th production (Hairspray) this past year at

Middletown High School!

Aaron Sinicrope has been MTT’s Music

Director since we opened! This year, Aaron will

have double duty-- music directing both Legally

Blonde AND Willy Wonka. Aaron also will be

leading the pit band for both productions. Aaron is an accomplished

pianist, arranger, and conductor and teaches band at Woodrow Wilson

Middle School in Middletown.

Kate Ingram is returning for her third season with MTT after two

amazing years choreographing Guys and Dolls and Chicago! Kate has a

master’s degree in music education and has taught dance throughout her

adult life to all ages. After three years in Boston, we are thrilled that Kate

is again a resident of CT!

MCT

Ali Sinicrope

Middletown Children’s Theater will be performing Willy Wonka Jr.

this summer! The new NCT Camp Director is Stella Demand! Stella has

years of experience working for local YMCA camps as their director and

past experiences with MTT and MCT as our choreographer. Stella also

teaches Science at East Hartford Middle School during the school year.



This year we would like to introduce our new MCT artistic

director, Sloane Williams! Sloane comes to us from Bristow Middle School

in West Hartford where she teaches Language Arts and directs their

theater program. Sloane has many years of experience directing children’s

theater. We are so happy to have her with us this summer!

This year we would like to introduce Jon

Curns as part of the MTT/MCT staff! Jon is well

trained in Stagecraft and will be heading up our Technical Theater camp

for MTT this summer. Additionally, Jon will be working on all things

behind the scenes for Willy Wonka, as well! Jon is a stagecraft teacher at

Naugatuck Community College and Bridgeport Community College.

Rachel Newman returns for her second season of MCT as our new

assistant director! Rachel is a Language Arts teacher at WWMS, and

coaches the Drama Club there as well. Recently, Rachel directed Camp

Rock with her 7th and 8th grade students!

Auditions and rehearsals for both MTT and MCT begin in June,

and we open both shows in July. We look forward to another great season

providing the youth of Middletown an opportunity to experience the

magic of Theater!



Teacher Index: Art

Stacy Buckley (Woodrow Wilson)

Sean Callahan (Farm Hill, Macdonough, Snow, Spencer)

Julie Dunn (Woodrow Wilson)

Katrina Englehardt (Bielefield)

Nicole Iovanne (Middletown High School)

Alison Kaye (Lawrence, Macdonough)

Catherine Lendler (Bielefield)

Megan Martin (Moody, Snow)

Charlotte McCoid (Middletown High School)

Susan Meehl (Keigwin)

Patrick Shugrue (Middletown High School)

Kinga Zinowko (Spencer, Wesley)



Teacher Index: Music

Amy Chrzanowski (Bielefield, Snow, Spencer)

David Daddario (Keigwin, Lawrence)

Stephen D’Amato (Bielefield, Macdonough, Wesley)

Farah DeAngelis (Lawrence, Macdonough)

Kimberly Everson (Middletown High School)

Justine Gatti (Woodrow Wilson)

Marco Gaylord (Middletown High School)

Michael Gosselin (Middletown High School)

Pinar Gosterisli (Keigwin, Middletown High School, Woodrow Wilson)

Steve Matthews (Woodrow Wilson)

Lauren Otto (Elizabeth Swaim Strings Program)

Cynthia Peterson (Farm Hill, Moody, Spencer)

Liza Siegel (Farm Hill, Spencer)

Aaron Sinicrope (Woodrow Wilson)

Ali Sinicrope (Middletown High School)

Charlotte Soja (Bielefield, Moody)

Hallie Sorensen (Farm Hill, Snow)

Elisabeth Stevens (Keigwin)

Jeannine Westbrook (Wesley)



Teacher Index: Theater

Christopher Briggs (Middletown High School)

Rachel Newman (Woodrow Wilson)

Ali Sinicrope (Middletown High School)

middletown public schools: fine arts department

Documents